The tributes from District 4
by Oceanclaw
Summary: The year is 3037. Most people would be celebrating birthdays, or going to parties. But not Stacy. Stacy will spend her big day in a arena fending for her life. Will she make it? Or will she be just another Tribute from District 4
1. Chapter 1

**Note: I do not own the Hunger Games, or the District.**

Funny how fragile life is. It's like glass. Glass can break. So can life. It only takes two words. It can be as innocent as a young child's goodnight, or it can be as simple as your name. My downfall? It began with my name. My name is Stacy. Stacy Melbrook. Or better known in the Capital is "Tribute girl from district 4 for the 5th annual Hunger Games".

The year is 3037. In my home town of District 4, you couldn't walk outside the house with out the smell of fish filling your nose. Fish and seawater. Welcome home. Lets begin my story. I wake up in the morning and I'm surprised not to hear my mom singing in the kitchen, my dad cursing out the amount of fish we have, or to hear my big sister arguing with her best friend. All I hear is silence. Then I remember the date. Oh right, its the day of the reaping. I hop up and change into my normal clothes. I looked in the mirror and sighed. I have dirty blonde hair, that will not stay how I want it to save my life. My eyes are a brown so dark it looks like black; and I'm pale. Oh not pale...unnaturally pale. Plus if you ask me, I'm way to skinny. I wore camo jacket, and dark jeans. My hair as usual was put in a bun. I jog outside the house and am hit by the smell of fish. I ignore it.

If you don't know, District four is rather large. It is located in what was once known as The Gulf of Mexico. We live in one of the more poor part. It wasn't the most poor part. But it was rather poor. Most think because we are close to the capitol we are snobby,and mean. I beg to differ, sure we can be mean (all people can), but some of use aren't. Some are nice! Anyways, District four is made up of towns. I live in the town of Travensburth (say it with me: Trav-ins-birth). Its the smallest and least known of all the places, which also means one of the poorest.

I walk outside and down to the dock, I pick up a fishing rod and hop on a boat. Waiting for me is my old friend. He flashes me a grin and waves me forward. "Happy Hunger Games!" he says in a high voice, mocking the high voice of Maylin. Maylin announces who is chosen for the Hunger Games. Or as we in Travensburth like to call them, The Death Games.

"May Death Come Quick and Life End Short" I reply, and he burst out laughing. Of course, this is not what they say. It might as well be though, cause that's the reason behind it. Me and Christopher have been friends forever, actually, he is my cousin. I motion for him to start the boat.

Then I set for the sea.I spend the next hour fishing with Christopher. When we get back I waved him goodbye and walked home to find my family up and getting all sorts of dressed up. My mother spots me, my hair is still in a bun, I smell like fish, and I'm covered in sweat. She looks at me repulsed and I flash her a grin. She rolls her eyes at me but returns the grin. My older sister Megan, gasps in horror at my current state. Me and her never really got along, she is more like a girl from the capitol then a girl from District 4. I hated that. When my dad looked up he burst out laughing. "That's a good look for ya kiddo" he said with a grin. I laughed and flipped my hair like I've seen my sister do many times. He laughed, and Mom grabs my arm and dragged me to my room. She forced me into our bathtub and made me take a bath. When that form of my torture was over, she brushed out my hair and I barely held in a scream. She put some of my hair up in a bun and the rest laid down my shoulders. Then she forced me into a red dress with brown flower and green stems on it. The dress went down to my feet, and the sleeves were the perfect size. In district four, everyone dressed up for the Reaping. She noticed the Dog tags I had hanging from my neck and didn't say a word about it. On my 10th birthday Christopher gave them to me as a gift. I never take them off. Then she forces me in shoes that aren't tennis shoes. When she was finally happy with her work, she allowed me back into the room with my family. My dad nodded in appreciation, "You are gonna give me a heart attack with the boys one day Stacy." he states. I couldn't help but laugh. My sister was wearing a plain green dress. I look way better than her. She didn't like that. So we all made our way towards the town central, where we had a special stage made for this occasion. I will admit I remember the first Hunger Games, and how gruesome it was. It was only 5 years ago...I was only 8 though; so its blurry. The stage was a emerald green, with sapphire colored fish on the stage. On each side was a statue of a fishing rod catching a fish. It was made of cement, the fishes eyes were made of Emeralds. Yeah, that's what we consider poor. Looking back, well...I was rich. When we entered the town square I had to write my name on a piece of paper, and dropped it in a small bowl. My sister didn't have to, The hunger games was only for people the ages of 12-18. Shes got caught in the wave of people. I heard the way to happy voice of Melina Marina (Say it with me: mel-ēn-a). She (like most capitol people) looked absolutely ridiculous . She was wearing a purple dress, with metallic green all over it. She had dyed her hair purple, and had a red jewel encrusted in her forehead. She had a green boa to go along with it.

"Happy Hunger Games!" She said happily. We all knew she would rather be any other place than here. She went into a long and boring speech about how this happened, how only five years ago District 13's uproar about the capitol and how it was destroyed. I met Christopher's eye and smiled reassuring him he won't be chosen. Then my sister nudged me to get my attention.

"She is about to name who is gonna be in the Hunger Games stupid!" she hissed into my ear. I looked up at our own overly happy speaker. She said our winners from the past years, and we have had one. Only one in five years. Yikes. Once he heard his name, Keith came onto the stage. No one really knew his last name, he was just known as Keith. He waved to the people and looked quite brave.

"Now I would like to announce our tributes this year!" Melina said Keith brought over a small bowl, this bowl was designed with pearls of the sea. Yep, this is the one I put my name in. It was the girls.

"Ladies first!" She adds. Then she placed her hand in the bowl and took out a name. She read it out loud. "Stacy Melbrooke"

**wow long chapter! I think I may just shorten it...**


	2. Chapter 2

For a few seconds the world stood still. No one moved. No one talked. She looked around expectantly . "Stacy Melbrook?" I felt the feeling come back in my leg. I walked stiffly up to the stage, on the way I made eye contact with Christopher and saw he was chalk white. We made eye contact and he just nodded. I walked onto the stage and stood next to Keith. I kept my face emotionless. The people of district 4 clapped. Then Keith brought over a plain blue bowl and she pulled out a name. Then she read it out loud. "Kevin Tenkincho"

Well, my day couldn't get any worse. It had gone from a quiet day, to a day that will ruin my life if my life goes on after this. I mean, I barely knew the other tribute! Other than a polite 'Hello' from time to time we have never spoken! Now they are throwing me in a arena with this dude, and taking bets if we will both come out alive!Yet I knew better than to voice my thoughts. I turned to him and shook his hand. We turned to face the crowd. They cheered like the had to. Then the guards came to force us to go to the town hall. Usually I would question why so many guards, but now I know why. If there weren't so many I would make a run for it. No use now. They put me in a room that over looks the bay where me and my best friend fish. Oh my god... What was Maya thinking? Would she visit? Would they let her? As if hearing my thoughts they let my friend in, only she wasn't alone. To my surprise she was with ran to me and cried. "I'm so sorry! I should have taken your place! I'm so so sorry! I was weak!" She blurts out between sobs. I patted her arm and spoke softly.

"You know as well as I do I wouldn't have let you. And you weren't weak. Just think: what would your family do without you?" She calmed down and nodded. Then Megan cleared her throat and turned to me.

"Good luck. We got you your token." She handed me a chain and Maya gave me a ring. With them watching I put the ring on the chain and put it on.

"thank you guys."Then the guards came and took them away.

Next in was mom. She hugged me and smoothed my hair. "you will win" it wasn't a question but I answered it as one.

"Yep" Then they took her away. Soon the guards came for me and dragged me to the train which was crowded by reporters which I plainly ignored. I got on the train quietly. Soon my partner did to. I looked him over and blurted the first thing out that came to mind. "You better not make me die." Immediately I regretted it. He locked eyes with me and held my gaze without flinching or looking away. Eventually I looked away. Then it was his turn to speak. "Only if you don't make me die" he replied. I nodded in agreement.

"I'll keep you alive if you keep me alive." I offer.

"Agreed"


End file.
